In a healthy heart, a heart valve allows blood flow generally in one direction. In some conditions, such as mitral valve regurgitation, a valve may be prevented from closing properly thereby causing blood to flow backwards as well as in the intended direction. This can increase the workload on the heart and if left untreated can lead to irreversible heart damage.
Existing methods of mitral valve repair include open heart surgery to attach a circular or semi-circular prosthetic ring in order to reduce the size of the annulus, from which the heart valve's leaflets are supported, to bring closer together the leaking valve leaflets. However, there are significant disadvantages associated with open heart surgery including longer recovery times for the patient, increased chance of infection, and unsuitability for high risk patients.
A percutaneous method of treating this condition would circumvent the disadvantages associated with open heart surgery. However, a percutaneous approach offers additional challenges due to constraints such as anatomy and the dynamic nature of a beating heart. For example, blood flow is present which may not allow direct imaging of the valve and the implant. Also, movement of the annulus can create instability between the implant and the tissue. There must also be an appropriate delivery method for the device which can securely attach the device to the tissue.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved device for supporting soft tissue and a tool for delivering such a device.